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Mike Tyson slammed casual fans’ allegations that his recent Netflix boxing showdown with social media star-turned-fighter Jake Paul was rigged and he held punches.
“It was a real fight,” Tyson said in an interview with Fox Sports Radio on December 9. “My body, my stomach, my chest was sore [the day after the fight].”
The 58-year-old Tyson lost via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight for Paul 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 in a lopsided contest.
Tyson only landed 18 of his punches, while Paul connected on 78 of 278 punches, according to the CompuBox punch stats.
The fight was a blur to Tyson, he revealed in the Fox Sports Radio interview nearly a month after the fight.
“I don’t remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out,” Tyson said.
Asked if he re-watched the fight, Tyson had a blunt response.
“I haven’t watched the fight back,” Tyson said.
Despite throwing only 97 punches compared to Paul’s 278, Tyson insisted he did not tire out during the two-minute-eight-round bout.
“I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t sweaty,” Tyson said. “I went to the house we were staying in, I left the house with my wife and kids, went to the after-party then went back.”
Mike Tyson’s Initial Reaction to Jake Paul’s Bow
Pressed for more details of what he remembered during the fight, one moment stuck with him.
“You know what I remember coming back from the first round, and then the next thing, Jake was doing some kind of bow. That’s the last thing I remember.”
“I thought he was gonna hit me that’s why I was like, ‘What the hell is he doing?'” Tyson said.
The loss to Paul added another colorful chapter to Tyson’s checkered career. While he lost the fight, he earned admiration from a lot of fans for standing toe-to-toe against a fighter twice his age.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won,” Tyson said. “I’m grateful for [Friday] night and have no regrets about getting in the ring one last time.”
Asked if the fight added to his legacy, Tyson, the former undisputed heavyweight champion and the youngest heavyweight champion in history, was taken aback.
“I never thought about that! The day after the fight, I woke up and told my wife, ‘Why did I do that?’ I just don’t know what the hell went on,” he admitted.
One thing that was certainly added to his life after the fight was retirement funds.
Tyson earned an estimated $20 million payday.
Near-Death Experience Before Jake Paul Fight
A day after he lost to Paul, Tyson shared on the social media platform “X” that he had a serious medical scare in the lead-up to the fight, which made him more grateful for the opportunity to box one more time.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time,” Tyson wrote on X.
“I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won,” he wrote.
“To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you 🙏”
Tyson suffered an ulcer last spring, Fox News reported. Tyson experienced “a medical scare, becoming nauseous and dizzy on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles,” according to Fox News.
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